Page 19 of Targeted By Temptation
“How goes it with Viktor?”
Boaz and Maynard shared a glance. “He wasn’t happy, but he was pretty restrained. He threatened to rip up the treaty, but it felt performative, as if he was saying what I expected him to.”
“But he’s not headed here with a band of not-so-merry men ready to pull my limbs off?”
Thiago jumped into the conversation. “No, and Boaz is worried that he’s being relatively calm.”
“Thank you, little brother, but I can deliver the message myself.” Boaz glared at Thiago, but my younger brother didn’t cower.
Boaz explained that Viktor didn’t appear to be listening to him and his response was almost bot-like. “The Viktor I know would have been raging. He had something else on his mind.”
I wished he’d deal with that and forget my mate had ever been betrothed to his son. But that was too easy. Whatever was really going on could come back and bite us in the butt.
“It’s a problem.” Riggs paced around the clearing.
Here we all were, concerned that an Alpha hadn’t declared war on our pack. It should have been good news, leading to a promising start to Reign’s and my future.
While Reign wasn’t Hawthorn’s fated mate, he’d obviously decided or been convinced that mating Reign would be best for his family and/or the pack. I couldn’t imagine spending my life with someone to justify making someone else’s life easier.
Both he and his father should be wanting to separate me from my limbs and stomping on the treaty, demanding we renegotiate the terms and return Reign to them.
“Maybe he's being strategic,” Lake suggested. “Not wanting to show his hand.”
Boaz wasn’t convinced, and neither was I. My brother couldn't fathom what was going on. “But it’s something that affects us.”
“Like what?” I couldn’t grasp how something else could be connected to us and Reign.
“Maybe this arrangement with Reign wasn't as important to Viktor as it should have been,” Maynard noted. “Or perhaps it was important for reasons that have nothing to do with his heir actually wanting a mate.”
I thought back to Reign talking about being forced into the arranged marriage without his consent. “You think it's about money?”
“Reign's father might have debts, and Viktor could be the creditor.” Boaz checked his phone before tucking it into his pocket.
This was not small potatoes. And if true, the debt must be so huge he was willing to trade his son’s freedom to clear it.
What father sold his son? That was no better than slavery.
“We’re looking into the father, Kalen. If he owes Victor money, we’ll ferret it out of someone.” Maynard’s job was in finance with a bit of hitman on the side. “There might be others involved who went into business together and ended up losing everything.”
“How long will that take?” They could use my help because I was the tech guy, but my oldest brother said his investigation would be in person. “Besides, this is you and your mate’s getting-to-know-each-other time.”
“You and Reign can’t move from here until we figure this out.” That was an order from Boaz.
“But we brought food. Tons of it.” Lake pointed to the bags and coolers at the edge of the clearing. “Though I might have taken a bag of corn chips.” His guilty expression was adorable. He’d make someone a great mate one day, as long as they accepted his huge appetite.
“And the treaty?” If Viktor revoked it and started a war, I’d have to fight with my brothers, but I’d send Reign out of the country.
“We’ll deal with it as and when it happens.” Boaz put a hand on my shoulder. “Nothing is more important than family, and Reign is family now.”
“When do we get to meet him?” Lake was bouncing up and down, and I grabbed his arm, thinking he was going to break into the cabin and introduce himself.
I opened my mouth to say soon, but Boaz stepped in and said when Viktor was no longer a problem.
“But there’s another possible threat.” All five brothers' gazes were fixed on me. I rambled on about Reign’s father havingdebts and his son not upholding his end of the agreement, if it put the father, Kalen, in Viktor’s crosshairs.
“Revenge.” Maynard understood. “So, Kalen might come after him.”
“Maybe that’s why Viktor wasn’t so upset about Reign, because he knew he could exact a high price from the father,” Riggs pointed out.
